Distributed blood pressure cuffs to elderly and aging patients who had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 pandemic-related health decline and to older adults participating in hypertension educational courses at a local senior citizens center — all part of an effort to increase awareness and critical condition prevention.

Provided take-home, mental health/healing arts kits (containing a radio, adult coloring book with felt pens, journal and inspirational book) to area older adults as a way to offer opportunities for the positive health effects of art, music and writing. Mental health first aid training was also offered to participants and volunteers.

Landscaped property that had been donated to the Senior Services office and added picnic tables and an outdoor classroom space — which makes it useful for socially-distanced visitation and eating, as well as a space for educational programming. Fruit trees and bushes are to be added to the property.

Surveyed the region’s senior population to better understand the prevalence and nature of loneliness and isolation being experienced, and collaborated with A Caring Place, a Lexington-based nonprofit, to share resources with seniors. In addition, began implementation of Woodford County Care Calls, a program that has volunteers call up older residents to “bring a little sunshine to their day.”

Provided three-to-five hot meals a week, for three months, to the senior population in Bourbon County. The dietary-approved meals helped seniors facing social distancing and quarantine protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Provided fresh local meals to quarantining seniors who tested positive or had been exposed to COVID-19, and to local seniors in need of the service.

Educated area primary care providers and clinic staff on existing nutrition assistance programs for food insecure seniors and how to engage directly with that population. Practice staff then assisted in identifying and enrolling high-risk seniors in a hospital-led nutrition prescription program — which provided educational programming promoting nutrition education, food literacy and strategies to modify health behaviors, as well as vouchers to purchase healthy produce.

Completed a series of elder home repair projects in the community — including the construction of wheelchair ramps; indoor plumbing installations; and repairs to floors, roofs and home foundations.

Hosted “lunch and learn” and “plant a friend” events at assisted living facilities across the Pennyrile region as a way to improve the mental health of senior residents. The “lunch and learn” event included educational activities about brain stimulation and mood boosting activities — activities that older adults could do on their own during the COVID-19 lockdown. The “plant a friend” event was a social engagement activity which involved residents planting a succulent together and learning how to care for it during lockdown.